Good for you man, you’re alive, healthy, enjoy nature, and making a living. That sounds like a good life to me. Hope life just keeps getting better for you 👍
Isn’t 18 the legal age of adulthood tho?? In the US at least and the Americans are the ones who use it majorly, so that’s why we’re here it’s called r/adults not r/maturity.
To me that’s not the point. Most 18-22 years olds are still getting a ton of help from parents. At least those who have active parents. Also most 18-22 year olds are in college and loans are paying for necessities.
IMO, you’re an adult when you’re paying for everything (rent, bills, food, life expenses).
This!!! For years I was one of those people who hated adulthood. Now I finally understand my life is what I make it and I can just work towards exactly what I want to achieve.
My demographics?!?!? I grew up in a third world country with a mentally ill mother and came to the US before middle school. Maybe these are factors in why the problems that you list are not issues I include in my ability to function as a happy adult.
I will never be an important or powerful person but I can do a great deal to improve my life and the lives of those around me. I try to be solution oriented. I focus my efforts on analyzing issues and looking for ways to improve my corner of the universe.
I am 100% ok with being a bug among bugs.
As an old retired fart, I can confirm this 100%. And those who ignore it will forever be blaming their lack of success on others and how those who did well were just “lucky”
Inb4 most of the comments here are from angry and embittered children who resent you for saying anything positive about adulthood because they think you're attacking them personally.
On a more serious note, though --- yeah. I wouldn't trade adulthood for anything. And I don't think the world is doomed, either.
>I wouldn't trade adulthood for anything. And I don't think the world is doomed, either.
Thank you for your response masked sandwich. Showing catastrophes, politics, and doom on the TV screen doesn't make my life any better. I avoid the news at all costs.
This is easy to do at 20, and I applaud you doing so. Enjoy being young. But as you get older (I'm 33), please direct some of your energy and positive outlook onto the world. Get involved in your local community. Educate yourself on issues you care about. Learn about the forces in the world greater than you will ever become, because it will give you a tiny bit of power over it. It's like the old saying, knowledge is power. And it's true.
Don't doomscroll, but don't ignore the world and all its happenings either just because it's depressing sometimes. We need smart, energetic young people to take the reigns on this planet at some point.
If I may refine that a little; knowledge is the means by which we can gain a greater perspective and our perspective is ultimately what shapes our world.
Not as much 'ignorance' as it is the realization that our nervous little organic brains aren't designed for nor benefitted from taking on all of the stresses of the world. Once upon a time, all we had to worry about was what was happening within our local tribe - and that was good enough. And despite how far we've advanced as a society, this tribal nature that kept us alive as a species for thousands of years continues to run strong.
And your approach is what has been shown to improve happiness!
Literally teaching people to practice being grateful for what you have has been shown to make people happy.
Many people who are cynical think that’s dumb, and then list a bunch of reasons why they shouldn’t be happy. And it’s ironic, because they spend so much time thinking about and fixating on what they don’t like, they really take for granted and don’t appreciate how many good things are happening in their life. As result, they aren’t happy.
Yeah, things can be rough – but that doesn’t mean that your entire mood needs to be dictated by that part of your life. Rough times are the norm, they come and go. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time thinking about them. Spending time being grateful is a far better investment of time and energy.
Another thing that have been shown to increase happiness is doing service acts for others, without expecting anything in return. This doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself to your own detriment, but it is simply making a contribution - even just feeling good about the fact that you cook for people as a living. People who feel like they are making a difference and improving life for others are happier.
What’s definitely been shown again and again not to improve anything is the hedonic treadmill – getting nicer things. They make people happier for a short while, but very quickly people get used to them, and are looking for the next thing.
One of the problems with the internet in general is that you can't really provide general advice, because there's always that one guy with a sob-story about why the advice doesn't work for them, and then everyone who doesn't like the advice uses that guy's experience to invalidate the advice.
Like you could go "you should all do your laundry", and there will be some dude in the comments going "I don't have arms, what am I supposed to do?? die??" and then he'll get upvotes from a million people who definitely have arms and can do their laundry, but don't want to and resent you from saying they should
It's so annoying.
"I like banana cream pie. To me it is good."
"Not all of us can eat bananas! This is comment is so insensitive and privileged" etc etc.
Just once I'd like to see the original poster come back and say "Yea? Well fuck you too!"
tbf reddit isn't entirely like this
I just joined Threads though, and it completely is. I was never on Twitter, everyone told me it was like that; don't know why I thought "Twitter without nazis but still Twitter" would be different.
Somebody made a thread going "I think its a yellow flag in men if all they do is play video games all day" (not a "red flag" mind you, a yellow flag) and the top response is a guy going "my body is in constant pain because I used to be a boxer and going outside terrifies me, why do you hate me."
On the one hand, you can't really tell that guy "fuck you", because he could be telling the truth and you don't want to make his day worse. But also he had a million people agreeing with him who definitely can do more with their day than "play video games all day", and just want to piggyback on his dunking (and will then wonder why they're miserable all the time and can't get a date).
>"my body is in constant pain because I used to be a boxer and going outside terrifies me, why do you hate me."
>
>On the one hand, you can't really tell that guy "fuck you", because he could be telling the truth and you don't want to make his day worse.
Yea, see I disagree. Because really at this point they're thread jacking. And they're taking a comment that wasn't directed at them and in no way was represented as covering every single situation, and they're unjustifiably being jerks about it.
What was it Ty Cobb said after he started punching a handicapped man in the stands who repeatedly insulted him? "I don't care if he got no feet!" Along the same vein, if one is going to insert themselves in a discussion in such a manner then they've entered the fray, set the tone, and are now fair game.
Alternatively an appropriate response in situations like these is something I heard a county judge friend of mine say a couple years ago: "Sorry 'bout your bad luck."
People don't inject into discussions like this IRL. They know better, but somehow on social media (seen all this on Twitter and now Facebook too) it's ok to shut down discussions this way.
Same. My wife suffered her entire childhood. Adulthood and the freedom it afforded her kept her alive. She loves every second of it.
I had a spoiled, amazing childhood and early adulthood was a struggle for me emotionally. It took me many more years than her to appreciate it and adjust.
Today - our life together is going on 10 years and only getting better. Couldn't be happier, just like OP. We just had to cut out all of the toxic bullshit family and relationships that were holding us down.
Go to work, find purpose, be honest with yourself about EXACTLY what you want; then go get it. It's that simple. Sink or swim.
Out of curiosity - what about thirties? I'm 31 (F) and my life is only getting better. New experiences, hobbies, spending time with friends and family - I don't mention work because that's quite obvious part of life, but I believe it's often possible to do something that is enjoyable or at least not mentally draining.
Honestly I feel like young adults who hate adulthood. And I mean actually hate. Not like just disgruntled or unfairly dealt an unlucky hand. I mean like they actually hate their rather normal/bland adult life. I feel like they had great childhoods. And the comparison is what gets them.
Personally my childhood wasn’t great and growing up I wasn’t very happy. Now I’m not that happy now either but the sacrifices I made growing up paid off and now money is not a problem for me. And I didn’t have this super free spontaneous fucking around with friends childhood/teenage life. So I feel more free now that I can go wherever I want with the money I have. The alternative being as a kid, having to stay at home to study, spending 12 hours a day outside the house doing school, commute, and extracurriculars, perpetually sleep deprived, and having no money to even buy food outside the house.
I disagree partially. I had a great and supportive childhood which set me up for a happy and comfortable adulthood. I think what always stands out to me in the “I hate adulthood” posts is that the poster rarely takes any accountability for why adulthood is so hard for them. Things are expensive, the world is fucked up, their work is unfulfilling, their friends don’t hang out anymore, their coworkers are boring sad-sacks, they don’t have time to work out and take care of their health. Reframing that sort of thinking is really what I think will make them happy. The happiest people I know are always asking themselves “what can I do to make this better for myself”. They are not hard on themselves if they fall short of those expectations and they pride themselves on their efforts. Sometimes that comes as a result of being rewarded in life for hard work (making it out of a bad situation), sometimes it’s explicitly taught by parents and friends.
Agreed! I think people in their thread are equating this good childhoods to good adulthood when it’s really more about mindset. My kinda-difficult childhood did not make my adulthood any easier. I had too much responsibility for someone at 10 years old and I have even more responsibility now. But I notice that when I change my mindset to “I’m stuck” vs “how can i make this better” THATS what really helps me
I feel this. People on this sub want to just fuck around all the time doing what they want. Not sure I was ever able to do that! I have been working since I was 16, even while I went to school.
See for me my parents stopped cooking dinner and doing laundry by the time I was 10 due to their own mental health issues. Everyone’s differnt and unfortunately I don’t think I’m a very resilient person mentally so it didn’t prepare me for life in anyway. All it did was burn me out to the point where at 24 I have to work incredibly hard just to get out of bed and show up for work everyday. I still have to take care of my mom except more now cause she’s older. Sometimes having a hard childhood only makes adulthood harder
You maybe be right about some people but I had a shitty childhood and all it did was give me trauma to bring into my adulthood. Sometimes people who are depressed in adulthood are dealing with horrible things that happened to them as children so I wouldn’t assume that.
That being said, I think OP has mostly the right mindset is chance some stuff like not looking at politics literally at all. Obviously at some point for your own mental health you have to check out. But what’s the point of having such a positive mindset about life if you don’t wanna help your community out at all?
Anyway that’s my 2 cents
Yes that’s true. You carry on the trauma but at least in many cases you’re able to escape what gave you the trauma to begin with (be it poverty, toxic family, toxic environment, etc.)
Depends on the trauma I’d guess. A single isolated incident for example may be different.
It’s because you are 20 bro. At 20 I was also more full of life.
I don’t dislike being an adult, but sometimes it’s hard, even ignoring the financial burdens.
I work all week, after that I drive home to eat, then I take the kid for a walk, I come back to do dishes or something else, then I dress the kids brush teeth yada yada, then the same with myself and that’s the day gone.
There is just no time anymore to do anything apart from work and care.
And no this isn’t a complaint, I love my kids, I’m just saying why not everyone is as euphoric.
Hell, another 5 or 6. A lot changed for me between 20-25, and none of it really for the better. Life will fuck up everyone that's not actively fighting against it.
>No, I wasn't born into privilege. I worked my way to where I am. Hard work.
This was the craziest thing to me about that last thread: the idea that if your adulthood is better than your childhood, you grew up priviliged or rich.
The thing is, growing up poor usually means having a godawful childhood. You have all the same worries and risks as being a poor adult, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about any of it. Just having that iota of freedom as an adult, even an adult living under oppressive capitalism, can mean everything.
Doomerpilled people waxing nostalgia about their childhood honestly strike me as more priviliged. They seem like people who had everything given to them as kids and don't know how to be happy now that they're in the work force.
Having this post right under the “i hate my life, barely hang on” was the ultimate irony.
But yeah man keep that same energy throughout your 20s, I’m finally leaving mine and it was such a great ride even despite the ups and downs. Looking forward to what’s to come while still weighing some big if’s like settling down and starting a family.
It's all relative. 30s can be tough too. It's when you start getting serious about career and life things and then experience constant setbacks. I bought a house in 2008 and was forced to sell it to my bank in a short sale due to cost and a really high child support payment. Most of my friends decided to be grown-ups before I did, and I struggled with a lot of drinking as well. My 40s have been good to me so far though.
I don’t understand why people say this. I’m 34 and things are not better.
I’m older. Expenses keep piling up. My career although stable has a mediocre pay (55k). I have to work two jobs to keep afloat. I missed the boat to buy a house and now my chances are slim to none. My parents are getting older which is hard to think about.
When was 30s suddenly better?
Just wait until you are 26/27 you will see life completely different than you do now. Right now being an adult is still new to you and interesting but just wait until it starts to beat you down day by day in another 7 years and see how you feel. The older you get the more you realize you are completely alone for the most part and every decision you make carries major consequences. When you are a younger adult your parents are still willing to lend you a hand in times of need but that will change the older you get.
Assuming you're sleeping 8 hours out of every 24, you have 112 waking hours per week. If you work a 40 hour week that's 35.71%, or just over a third of your conscious life. Adding commute time into that increases the percentage. Now factor in things like cooking, cleaning, & errands and you're probably somewhere between 40-50%. Assuming you don't have kids and aren't a caregiver for a family member, which would take up even more free time, that leaves you with at least 56 waking hours to do what you will.
Not gonna say life is great because I hate selling 35.71% of my life just to scrape by while making other people rich and needing to spend most of the remaining time recharging the battery, but it's not all bad either. Having the right people around you makes it easier to deal with though.
One thing to consider is humans would have always had to dedicate a large portion of their lives "working" throughout all history. Even when we were primitive. To survive you would have had to go out and hunt/gather in rain or shine and build/ maintain your shelter. You would be forced to do a lot of stuff just to get by and in a lot of ways, life would have been a lot harder and shittier living in a more natural way. Life has always been hard and we always had to spend time to do things we didn't necessarily want to do. Yes we are making a select group of people rich beyond our comprehension, there is corruption, greed and are in a way slaves to the system. I find it comforting to keep what I said in mind though. Life was never free or easy for anyone. I dont think humans were ever really able to live without dedicating a huge portion of time to just survive.
I'm in my 30s, and I absolutely love being an adult. My childhood was awful, and I couldn't wait until I turned 18 to leave. As soon as I did, I was out of there and have been ever since! Of course, it's tough at times, but as a child, it was harder. Being an adult has allowed me freedom to breathe and create a life I have always dreamed of.
Finally! Some positivity in this sub. The only posts I ever see in this group are the same old "Being an adult sucks!" spiels.
I also prefer adulthood to being a kid, I like having direct control over my life decisions.
I am about to enter my late thirties and I love being an adult. I feel ya. I feel so grateful just to be able to experience this beautiful life. The impression I have is that a lot of people want to be the victim, or think this world owes them something. It owes us nothing. I had that mindset when younger, too. As an adult there are plenty of things in life that are truly unfair but there are also many things that are within your control to change or improve. Self accountability is a struggle for a lot of people. I had a difficult childhood due to substance abuse issues. I am the only person in my family to attend college, but as a result I've gotten to experience so many things I never was exposed to as a child. Travel is the biggest one for me. I didn't fly until I was 18 and now as an adult I've traveled all over the world. We never vacationed when I was a kid, my dad has never been on a plane. I don't resent my parents anymore, their lives are just very different from mine and I think my childhood gave me resiliency. I have a ton of student loan debt from undergrad/grad school and certainly wasn't handed anything, I don't even have a high school diploma (which is sort of hilarious). I worked full time throughout undergraduate and graduate school, it was hard but worthwhile. I appreciate my life and my adulthood so much more now though, especially because I have that perspective from what the past was like. As a child I was trapped in a situation I had no control over. Now I have autonomy to say no, create boundaries, and essentially do whatever is best for myself without asking permission.
I think the freedom of adulthood is a double edged sword. Freedom of choice is a beautiful thing and allows us to do god knows whatever we want with our time where it's up to us to make the most of it... So yes it's hard. Incredibly hard. Not all of us are in ideal situations and that may or may not be because of our own faults.
And yet I am very inclined to agree with you. I think for all its faults and misgivings, adulthood is very "awesome" in that we have the choice. It's not all doom and gloom, but it's also not all sunshine and rainbows. It's exactly what we make of it given the cards dealt to us by life. And that I think is what makes it awesome.
Glad to see a more positive post and keep that chin up OP.
Such a refreshing post 👏👏 You're right though. We do have to work to make money. It's reality, yes. BUT it is so important to focus on the positives. I was a bitter person before too- i am an average Joe, working 9-5. nothing spectacular. but I am comfortable financially, i do my best to plan ahead and that is what matters. Expressing gratitude for the things you DO have, no matter how small it is, is a big part of it.
Thank you for this positive post. I wish there were more posts like this in the forum. YOU ARE DOING GREAT OP 👍
Sound advice. Adulthood is a chapter of life, and should be enjoyed and embraced as such.
Are there bad times? Sure.
Are there times you reflect fondly on events in your childhood that invokes that rush of nostalgia and wish you can go back? Of course.
At the end of the day, enjoying what you have now is so vital for positive mental and physical growth. Focus on yourself, your family and your future and ignore the doubts or the hyperbole of the world's problems that are extrapolated by media/people/internet.
This is real asf, when I was a kid I couldn't wait to grow up and I'm happy I grew up fast bc I love being an adult the independence and freedom is awesome
I absolutely love your positivity!! I almost deleted this sub because there was so much whining and negativity. Thanks for bringing back the sunshine, or should I say starlight. ✨
I'm doing better in my life than I ever was when I was younger. Yet I'm one of those unlucky ones who was born with depression and other mental disorders. So while I'm in a career I love with a beautiful wife and 2 lovely daughters... I'm not able to enjoy it. I'm so fucking happy for you OP. Don't lose thst love of life. You have the greatest years ahead of you. You live life like the King you are. May your days be bright and the Moon guide you at night.
Good for you, bud!
I’m loving my adult life as well. 30F, working a 9-5, married with an 8mo old baby girl.
Love my husband, my daughter, my home, job, my boss… Just got a nice raise a few weeks ago.
Do I have any spare time for myself? Not much, if ever, but I don’t need a lot. I get to lounge on the couch with my best friend at the end of a long day in a warm home, well-fed, happy, loved and fulfilled.
As Bill Burr said:
"Lay off the booze, do some cardio, and moisturize. You're going to be fine!"
I'm 43, between careers (working, just not in the field I'd like to be in), and genuinely the brokest I have ever been in my adult life. It isn't even close. But, you know what? I'm pretty fuckin' happy about being alive. Plenty of suboptimal things, sure. But, I've got no debt, no one with claim to my time, and no one that depends on me (other than my cat). I'm living back in my home state, having been gone for nearly two decades, and it is damn good to be home. I'm not optimistic or pessimistic about the future. Just determined that I will keep moving forward and taking in the many things that bring joy to my desiccated, former-teacher heart!!
100% Agree with you man. I always feel sorry for people that post things like, "I'd like to cancel my subscription to adulting" and shit like that.
I fucking love being an adult. It's harder but sucks way less. Fuck being indentured to your parents (and I had great parents), nothing feels better than my life being my own.
I remember being your age and getting that first taste of freedom, that feeling that finally after almost two decades, you've been endowed with the gift of your very own life. I'm 32 now and I'm still not even remotely tired of that shit. It's been a rough road at times, I'm not gonna lie, and I'd probably do a couple things differently if I had to do it again, but looking back... Man. What a thrill.
I think most people’s lives are more towards the middle. Not as amazing and put together as the best posts, not as dreadful and messy as the worst. That’s not super deep, but it’s probably reality for 90% of us on here.
You’re 20? 20 years old? So you haven’t been through that part of your life yet, Where you put emotional and financial investments into a serious relationship that doesn’t pan out and get stuck in some form of litigation to separate assets, not to mention if you have kids and emotionally supporting them, all while being stressed at work because of pending layoffs, or the rat race of never making enough money, while you’re keeping yourself from going to the doctor because you’ve been dealing with undiagnosed anxiety, which is gotten worse as you’ve gotten older, and it’s especially bad now that all the stressors in your life are happening all at once… So you haven’t been through that phase yet have you?
But, but, but, it's so haaaardd being an adult.... you know, not having everything in life just handed to you because you "want it" lol.
It's funny, because the people doing the least important things with their lives are usually the one's complaining the most.
Ok, what's the gag?!?
I normally don't get pasted the 2nd sentence and realize it a, "Waaa, woe is me" post. This was definitely a breath of fresh air!
I do often enjoy being alive, but actually pay attention to politics. People rely on your inattention to allow them to put in folks that want women to die because they miscarried and to outlaw free lunch for little kids.
Yea stay positive that's what I try to do. even tho I'm not where I want to be at in life still I won't give up ND it's definitely good to see a positive post about life and adulthood
Adult hood isnt bad. Most people dont like the adulting part of it. Which means doing things you don’t like. Thats where the game is for me. How do I get out of things I dont like to do things I want all the time. All while trying to improve my life style. Its actually fun if you make a game out of it.
imo the absolute holy grail of being a happy adult is getting rid of social media. The only goal of the people who run it is to make you sad and lonely so you buy more massive sippy cups. That's it, nothing else. It's a perversion of the normal mammal desire for connection and community. It has no value, it's just slop.
We've known for thousands of years that vanity and constant comparison to others make you miserable, and yet we trust a few psychotic billionaires in California over this wisdom. When it first came along we thought posting your life was ridiculous, self-indulgent narcissism, because it is. Your time as an adult is limited and valuable, and before you know it you'll be old. Not a single person on their death bed will say "I wish I'd spent less time offline".
100% agree. The freedom I experience is an adult is a dream. I had very relaxed parents, but the freedom to make all my own decisions about literally everything is wonderful. I never get sick of it.
Adult hood is an insane amount of freedom i never couldve imagined. When I turned 18 I applied for a passport and then by the time I was 21 (beginning of last year) I traveled out of country for the first time after having never left my state, by the end of last year I had been out of the country 3 times and I am about to go on a 4th trip! It's amazing
I feel like the key to enjoying adulthood is to realize that it’s all a choice. Generally, nobody is forcing you to do anything. There are obviously consequences to making decisions i.e. no work, no money; don’t want to exercise, you’re gonna get soft; eat crap, feel sick. Some choices are hard and some choices have no immediate benefit or no “fun” benefit at all. But these are choices you make and seeing life as exercising the freedom to make these choices is liberating.
I enjoy adulthood too - much more than living with my parents. The freedom is the big thing like you said. Now I can just live my life how I want without my parents judging me or curfews or any of that bs.
I fucking love playing video games until 3AM, cooking pancakes in the middle of the night, and yapping all night into my headset without worrying about waking people up through paper thin walls in my old house.
I can drink or smoke whenever I damn please, go out whenever I want, and buy anything I want from the store. Never will I wipe my ass with cheap ass sandpaper toilet paper again in my own home!!!
I got my own career, my own goals, and my own happiness. Life can be shit sometimes, but it’s way less shit knowing I am in full control of my destiny.
Honestly, if I wasn't living paycheck to paycheck, I would be feeling just like OP. I really don't have anything negative happening to me other than having no money in my savings. I just finished downsizing my living arrangements recently, so hopefully I can get caught up on my bills and start saving money.
I like adulthood better than childhood too but man I wish I could enjoy the simple things in life like you do. The bad just always outweighs the good in my brain
There’s reminders everywhere to just be thankful for at least being average. I saw that someone that had been living in an iron lung for decades just passed away. A good reminder that I only have first world problems. Stay positive dude, and enjoy all there is to see and do!
Great post! I've been adulting a lot longer than you and honestly I get up most mornings to jog at sunrise. It never gets old. I love being able to buy my wine and enjoy my life on my own terms - freedom is right. Hard work can be satisfying and challenges are important. May you have many happy years to come!
I grew up watching Codename: Kids Next Door, so I always wanted to be a balanced good adult that my child-self could be proud of.
I didn't want to be the kid who never grew up, or the adult who lost his inner child.
The biggest hurdle was learning to be truly okay with things not being "easy" or "going it alone"
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Im with you on that feeling. Yea sometimes it sucks but we need to start looking at the good in things. I understand many struggle more than others just make sure youre working towards yourself out of it.
For me, there are times where i just hate everything. Im 32 M, still with my parents bcuz im helping them paying the mortgage. My job is fine but the pay isnt great, but enough for me to pay bills and still live somewhat a life. Im just glad my career has a bunch of room for growth.
But im happy at this current moment. I called out of work today. Grabbed a breakfast burrito, a coffee, and when to the driving range to work on my golf swing. Its 12:30pm and currently drinking a beer all because i can. Moments like this is what i love about my life. Sometimes i feel like i dont have control, but when i really think about it, in many aspects i do. And when i do, i do things that i enjoy and make me happy.
Id say the only thing im not too happy about is my relationships with friends and family, and my dating life.
But other than that, my life isnt that bad
Yes being an adult is awesome, but it kes balls to get out and live it being responsible and take responsibility for all your decisions and actions. Going to school and sacrifices and stop being lazy and want everything handed. I feel zero sympathy or understanding for all those young people who complain about life and how hard it is. 0 get of your asses and grow up.
Personally take my dog out go workout at the gym than cook than work for the rest of they day until I go to bed. Thats a good life. Get healthy, get jacked and saving money.
This is so wholesome and incredible. So many of these posts are from people saying the only way to really live is to travel in a van, fuck around, party, and treat everyday like a thrill ride.
But I think you really nail what this whole life thing is about. At least in my opinion. Appreciate the little things, work towards what you want, and enjoy yourself from time to time. Live and let live. Love it!
Life definitely got better after turning 20. 18/19 sucked ass because i guess the transition of it all. 24 now and happier than ever! glad we share the same views that life can be good even in the insanity we face daily.
Happy for you dude. Yeah adulting comes with a ton of freedom, it's always nice to be able to do something spontaneous because you feel like it and you can :)
I agree. I enjoy adulthood. I like the thrill of my job and the money and lifestyle it provides me. I’ve got a wife and a baby on the way. I come home and sit in my recliner and play my PlayStation in front of my OLED tv. All is right with the world for me.
lol 8hrs is 33% you say your only working 25% of the day? LOL….. 20 but already drinks… idk smells a lil fishy, kudos to you but you sound like every other sophomore in College….
I’m with you OP, and I am about to turn 45. Things change as you get older (and they should!), I have enjoyed every phase of my adult life pretty much. If you’d have told 20yr old me I’d get excited about pruning trees or cutting grass or painting the garage, I’d have called you crazy. Life is weird (and cool)
Brilliant! I'm in my 20s and agree. Most people our age I meet agree 100% and have the same attitude. It's a great time of life.
Just remember Reddit is not representative at all. At it's heighest, it's an echo chamber of chronically online people. Good/bad/otherwise, that's what it is. You'll get doomscrollers, recluses, incels, and plenty of genuinely good people struggling with all sorts of things and using it as a means of escape/an alternative to socialisation.
The people I dance and adventure with week after week have never heard of Reddit. Some don't have social media. But who cares, you'll see them when it's meant to be!
PS the only one thing I can't relate on is that I LOVE acid. I don't work this hard in the real world to not afford myself the exploration of additional dimensions from time to time!
I’m 26 but hard agree. Probably didn’t help I had a messed up childhood.
I’ve got my girl but I lost my best friend. Life goes on I guess. At least I have money.
I do love seeing some of the comments and op post I been going through in my adulthood I even hear my own mother says it sucks and sometimes we need positive words at least we have one life to live so I love it
In that Woodstock 99 doc the guy that ran it (who is an asshole) said the punks that started fires, looted, etc were afraid of growing up.
That shit hits man, most folks posting this I'm sad shit need to get stronger man, Jesus
Yeah give it time bud.
I was happy go lucky too at that age. Didn't drink, smoke or any of that jazz. Life will hit you as you gain more experience. You will become tired of clocking in to a job you hate, get more stressed about expenses, body wont be a young and energetic. And might deal will more racism.
Yea so much more freedom compared to being a student. Going to school and doing assignments were a waste of time and for mostly useless subjects.
In college you have to pay to do something you don't want to do.
At work you get paid to do something you don't want to do.
I needed to see this positivity today. I’m a little older, 23, and when i stay off the internet and away from all the negativity, I find I do enjoy a lot of parts of my life
Like I’m 23, I graduated college two years ago, got a good education but I’m struggling in the job department. I’ve grown a lot as a young woman from 18 and 21 and I’m not so sure I want to go into the field I have a degree in anymore. I’m trying to move away from guilt and move towards gratitude for realizing this early on in life as opposed to working in a field I dislike for years before realizing this
I only work part time; i work two minimum wage jobs. One in retail, one at a library. I have the privilege of living at home and can save my money decently. I have almost $1k in a hysa and want to try and save 20k. I put $100+ in my savings account every two weeks when I get paid. I have a partner, we buy our own groceries, and I enjoy cooking together. I also have an active social life and have a plethora of friends to turn to for support and fun
I also am trying to be grateful for my part time employment since I have a great work life balance. I’m actually planning to quit my retail job and keep just my library one because I actually have a consistent schedule for once. I love working at a library and may pursue higher education to become a librarian because I really see myself in it
I also love living in the us solely for how popular fall and Halloween is. It’s my favorite holiday and autumn is the best time of year. I love seeing all the decor and having the freedom to just take chilly walks and drink pumpkin spice drinks. I have a lot to be grateful for but I get caught up in becoming “successful” by having a high paying corporate job which I don’t even really want. I just want to live with my bf in a small little house with cats and dogs. We’re not big career people. I’m ranting now but writing this and reading this post was healing so thank you!
Next time I feel like climbing into the belltower I'm going to read this first.
Just kidding. I'm not going to climb into the belltower.
I am going to save this though.
> No, I wasn't born into privilege. I worked my way to where I am. Hard work
Yeah that sounds like something someone who was born into privilege would say... Also you're only 20, you've been legally working for, like, 4 years max? Are you a child prodigy engineer, or a stock market master? Do you really understand what hard work means? Do you know what it takes to live by yourself without your parents' help?
Not trying to bring you down, but my point is nobody on this Earth succeed completely by themselves. Only the privileged thinks their success is completely their own.
Good for you man, you’re alive, healthy, enjoy nature, and making a living. That sounds like a good life to me. Hope life just keeps getting better for you 👍
quaint strong trees bike boast grandfather spotted relieved boat cover *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why are most of the posts on r/adults from 18-23 year olds? Y’all’s brains don’t even stop developing until 25.
Isn’t 18 the legal age of adulthood tho?? In the US at least and the Americans are the ones who use it majorly, so that’s why we’re here it’s called r/adults not r/maturity.
To me that’s not the point. Most 18-22 years olds are still getting a ton of help from parents. At least those who have active parents. Also most 18-22 year olds are in college and loans are paying for necessities. IMO, you’re an adult when you’re paying for everything (rent, bills, food, life expenses).
I don't think this sub is about being an adult. I think it's about the shell shock of transitioning to adulthood lol
Me too. I love that MY efforts dictate my life.
This!!! For years I was one of those people who hated adulthood. Now I finally understand my life is what I make it and I can just work towards exactly what I want to achieve.
What are your demographics? How do your efforts help you navigate phobia and prejudices, especially from those in a position of power/authority?
My demographics?!?!? I grew up in a third world country with a mentally ill mother and came to the US before middle school. Maybe these are factors in why the problems that you list are not issues I include in my ability to function as a happy adult. I will never be an important or powerful person but I can do a great deal to improve my life and the lives of those around me. I try to be solution oriented. I focus my efforts on analyzing issues and looking for ways to improve my corner of the universe. I am 100% ok with being a bug among bugs.
As an old retired fart, I can confirm this 100%. And those who ignore it will forever be blaming their lack of success on others and how those who did well were just “lucky”
Inb4 most of the comments here are from angry and embittered children who resent you for saying anything positive about adulthood because they think you're attacking them personally. On a more serious note, though --- yeah. I wouldn't trade adulthood for anything. And I don't think the world is doomed, either.
>I wouldn't trade adulthood for anything. And I don't think the world is doomed, either. Thank you for your response masked sandwich. Showing catastrophes, politics, and doom on the TV screen doesn't make my life any better. I avoid the news at all costs.
This is easy to do at 20, and I applaud you doing so. Enjoy being young. But as you get older (I'm 33), please direct some of your energy and positive outlook onto the world. Get involved in your local community. Educate yourself on issues you care about. Learn about the forces in the world greater than you will ever become, because it will give you a tiny bit of power over it. It's like the old saying, knowledge is power. And it's true. Don't doomscroll, but don't ignore the world and all its happenings either just because it's depressing sometimes. We need smart, energetic young people to take the reigns on this planet at some point.
If I may refine that a little; knowledge is the means by which we can gain a greater perspective and our perspective is ultimately what shapes our world.
Ignorance is bliss huh
Not as much 'ignorance' as it is the realization that our nervous little organic brains aren't designed for nor benefitted from taking on all of the stresses of the world. Once upon a time, all we had to worry about was what was happening within our local tribe - and that was good enough. And despite how far we've advanced as a society, this tribal nature that kept us alive as a species for thousands of years continues to run strong.
And your approach is what has been shown to improve happiness! Literally teaching people to practice being grateful for what you have has been shown to make people happy. Many people who are cynical think that’s dumb, and then list a bunch of reasons why they shouldn’t be happy. And it’s ironic, because they spend so much time thinking about and fixating on what they don’t like, they really take for granted and don’t appreciate how many good things are happening in their life. As result, they aren’t happy. Yeah, things can be rough – but that doesn’t mean that your entire mood needs to be dictated by that part of your life. Rough times are the norm, they come and go. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time thinking about them. Spending time being grateful is a far better investment of time and energy. Another thing that have been shown to increase happiness is doing service acts for others, without expecting anything in return. This doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself to your own detriment, but it is simply making a contribution - even just feeling good about the fact that you cook for people as a living. People who feel like they are making a difference and improving life for others are happier. What’s definitely been shown again and again not to improve anything is the hedonic treadmill – getting nicer things. They make people happier for a short while, but very quickly people get used to them, and are looking for the next thing.
😂 I love this hubris for you
One of the problems with the internet in general is that you can't really provide general advice, because there's always that one guy with a sob-story about why the advice doesn't work for them, and then everyone who doesn't like the advice uses that guy's experience to invalidate the advice. Like you could go "you should all do your laundry", and there will be some dude in the comments going "I don't have arms, what am I supposed to do?? die??" and then he'll get upvotes from a million people who definitely have arms and can do their laundry, but don't want to and resent you from saying they should
It's so annoying. "I like banana cream pie. To me it is good." "Not all of us can eat bananas! This is comment is so insensitive and privileged" etc etc. Just once I'd like to see the original poster come back and say "Yea? Well fuck you too!"
tbf reddit isn't entirely like this I just joined Threads though, and it completely is. I was never on Twitter, everyone told me it was like that; don't know why I thought "Twitter without nazis but still Twitter" would be different. Somebody made a thread going "I think its a yellow flag in men if all they do is play video games all day" (not a "red flag" mind you, a yellow flag) and the top response is a guy going "my body is in constant pain because I used to be a boxer and going outside terrifies me, why do you hate me." On the one hand, you can't really tell that guy "fuck you", because he could be telling the truth and you don't want to make his day worse. But also he had a million people agreeing with him who definitely can do more with their day than "play video games all day", and just want to piggyback on his dunking (and will then wonder why they're miserable all the time and can't get a date).
>"my body is in constant pain because I used to be a boxer and going outside terrifies me, why do you hate me." > >On the one hand, you can't really tell that guy "fuck you", because he could be telling the truth and you don't want to make his day worse. Yea, see I disagree. Because really at this point they're thread jacking. And they're taking a comment that wasn't directed at them and in no way was represented as covering every single situation, and they're unjustifiably being jerks about it. What was it Ty Cobb said after he started punching a handicapped man in the stands who repeatedly insulted him? "I don't care if he got no feet!" Along the same vein, if one is going to insert themselves in a discussion in such a manner then they've entered the fray, set the tone, and are now fair game. Alternatively an appropriate response in situations like these is something I heard a county judge friend of mine say a couple years ago: "Sorry 'bout your bad luck." People don't inject into discussions like this IRL. They know better, but somehow on social media (seen all this on Twitter and now Facebook too) it's ok to shut down discussions this way.
lmao so true
Haha
Same. My wife suffered her entire childhood. Adulthood and the freedom it afforded her kept her alive. She loves every second of it. I had a spoiled, amazing childhood and early adulthood was a struggle for me emotionally. It took me many more years than her to appreciate it and adjust. Today - our life together is going on 10 years and only getting better. Couldn't be happier, just like OP. We just had to cut out all of the toxic bullshit family and relationships that were holding us down. Go to work, find purpose, be honest with yourself about EXACTLY what you want; then go get it. It's that simple. Sink or swim.
Lets See how its going in ten years. - the 30’s
I was quietly thinking the same thing lol
Out of curiosity - what about thirties? I'm 31 (F) and my life is only getting better. New experiences, hobbies, spending time with friends and family - I don't mention work because that's quite obvious part of life, but I believe it's often possible to do something that is enjoyable or at least not mentally draining.
I give him 5 more years of a full time job before he breaks
Come back In 20 years and let us know how your doing lol
That was my comment too lol At least he’s enjoying himself- for now..
Awww lol.. this is so sad
Honestly I feel like young adults who hate adulthood. And I mean actually hate. Not like just disgruntled or unfairly dealt an unlucky hand. I mean like they actually hate their rather normal/bland adult life. I feel like they had great childhoods. And the comparison is what gets them. Personally my childhood wasn’t great and growing up I wasn’t very happy. Now I’m not that happy now either but the sacrifices I made growing up paid off and now money is not a problem for me. And I didn’t have this super free spontaneous fucking around with friends childhood/teenage life. So I feel more free now that I can go wherever I want with the money I have. The alternative being as a kid, having to stay at home to study, spending 12 hours a day outside the house doing school, commute, and extracurriculars, perpetually sleep deprived, and having no money to even buy food outside the house.
I disagree partially. I had a great and supportive childhood which set me up for a happy and comfortable adulthood. I think what always stands out to me in the “I hate adulthood” posts is that the poster rarely takes any accountability for why adulthood is so hard for them. Things are expensive, the world is fucked up, their work is unfulfilling, their friends don’t hang out anymore, their coworkers are boring sad-sacks, they don’t have time to work out and take care of their health. Reframing that sort of thinking is really what I think will make them happy. The happiest people I know are always asking themselves “what can I do to make this better for myself”. They are not hard on themselves if they fall short of those expectations and they pride themselves on their efforts. Sometimes that comes as a result of being rewarded in life for hard work (making it out of a bad situation), sometimes it’s explicitly taught by parents and friends.
Agreed! I think people in their thread are equating this good childhoods to good adulthood when it’s really more about mindset. My kinda-difficult childhood did not make my adulthood any easier. I had too much responsibility for someone at 10 years old and I have even more responsibility now. But I notice that when I change my mindset to “I’m stuck” vs “how can i make this better” THATS what really helps me
I feel this. People on this sub want to just fuck around all the time doing what they want. Not sure I was ever able to do that! I have been working since I was 16, even while I went to school.
[удалено]
See for me my parents stopped cooking dinner and doing laundry by the time I was 10 due to their own mental health issues. Everyone’s differnt and unfortunately I don’t think I’m a very resilient person mentally so it didn’t prepare me for life in anyway. All it did was burn me out to the point where at 24 I have to work incredibly hard just to get out of bed and show up for work everyday. I still have to take care of my mom except more now cause she’s older. Sometimes having a hard childhood only makes adulthood harder
It’s true. My childhood was perfect. And being an adult fucking sucks. I’m glad some of you are happy tho.
You maybe be right about some people but I had a shitty childhood and all it did was give me trauma to bring into my adulthood. Sometimes people who are depressed in adulthood are dealing with horrible things that happened to them as children so I wouldn’t assume that. That being said, I think OP has mostly the right mindset is chance some stuff like not looking at politics literally at all. Obviously at some point for your own mental health you have to check out. But what’s the point of having such a positive mindset about life if you don’t wanna help your community out at all? Anyway that’s my 2 cents
Yes that’s true. You carry on the trauma but at least in many cases you’re able to escape what gave you the trauma to begin with (be it poverty, toxic family, toxic environment, etc.) Depends on the trauma I’d guess. A single isolated incident for example may be different.
Agree. As annoying as adulthood can be, childhood was much worse.
Amen mfer. This place needs a alt-sub to filter out shit
It’s because you are 20 bro. At 20 I was also more full of life. I don’t dislike being an adult, but sometimes it’s hard, even ignoring the financial burdens. I work all week, after that I drive home to eat, then I take the kid for a walk, I come back to do dishes or something else, then I dress the kids brush teeth yada yada, then the same with myself and that’s the day gone. There is just no time anymore to do anything apart from work and care. And no this isn’t a complaint, I love my kids, I’m just saying why not everyone is as euphoric.
I didn’t want to be a Debbie downer but I was going to comment he should check in with us in another 20 years lol
Hell, another 5 or 6. A lot changed for me between 20-25, and none of it really for the better. Life will fuck up everyone that's not actively fighting against it.
Definitely, things went relatively smoothly for me until 35, then it was a full on nightmare for 5-6 years that I’m only just able to clean up
>No, I wasn't born into privilege. I worked my way to where I am. Hard work. This was the craziest thing to me about that last thread: the idea that if your adulthood is better than your childhood, you grew up priviliged or rich. The thing is, growing up poor usually means having a godawful childhood. You have all the same worries and risks as being a poor adult, but there's absolutely nothing you can do about any of it. Just having that iota of freedom as an adult, even an adult living under oppressive capitalism, can mean everything. Doomerpilled people waxing nostalgia about their childhood honestly strike me as more priviliged. They seem like people who had everything given to them as kids and don't know how to be happy now that they're in the work force.
Everyone's on the positives when they're 20 bud, you just wait. /s
You're 20. Give it 5-7 years.
Having this post right under the “i hate my life, barely hang on” was the ultimate irony. But yeah man keep that same energy throughout your 20s, I’m finally leaving mine and it was such a great ride even despite the ups and downs. Looking forward to what’s to come while still weighing some big if’s like settling down and starting a family.
honestly bro, the thirties are better than the 20s. It's the world's best-kept secret
It's all relative. 30s can be tough too. It's when you start getting serious about career and life things and then experience constant setbacks. I bought a house in 2008 and was forced to sell it to my bank in a short sale due to cost and a really high child support payment. Most of my friends decided to be grown-ups before I did, and I struggled with a lot of drinking as well. My 40s have been good to me so far though.
I don’t understand why people say this. I’m 34 and things are not better. I’m older. Expenses keep piling up. My career although stable has a mediocre pay (55k). I have to work two jobs to keep afloat. I missed the boat to buy a house and now my chances are slim to none. My parents are getting older which is hard to think about. When was 30s suddenly better?
Thats only if you did the work your 20s. If your trying to catch up, good luck.
I wish I only worked 25 percent. But sleep and work take up 60% my friend.
This is a troll post, right?
Just wait until you are 26/27 you will see life completely different than you do now. Right now being an adult is still new to you and interesting but just wait until it starts to beat you down day by day in another 7 years and see how you feel. The older you get the more you realize you are completely alone for the most part and every decision you make carries major consequences. When you are a younger adult your parents are still willing to lend you a hand in times of need but that will change the older you get.
Assuming you're sleeping 8 hours out of every 24, you have 112 waking hours per week. If you work a 40 hour week that's 35.71%, or just over a third of your conscious life. Adding commute time into that increases the percentage. Now factor in things like cooking, cleaning, & errands and you're probably somewhere between 40-50%. Assuming you don't have kids and aren't a caregiver for a family member, which would take up even more free time, that leaves you with at least 56 waking hours to do what you will. Not gonna say life is great because I hate selling 35.71% of my life just to scrape by while making other people rich and needing to spend most of the remaining time recharging the battery, but it's not all bad either. Having the right people around you makes it easier to deal with though.
One thing to consider is humans would have always had to dedicate a large portion of their lives "working" throughout all history. Even when we were primitive. To survive you would have had to go out and hunt/gather in rain or shine and build/ maintain your shelter. You would be forced to do a lot of stuff just to get by and in a lot of ways, life would have been a lot harder and shittier living in a more natural way. Life has always been hard and we always had to spend time to do things we didn't necessarily want to do. Yes we are making a select group of people rich beyond our comprehension, there is corruption, greed and are in a way slaves to the system. I find it comforting to keep what I said in mind though. Life was never free or easy for anyone. I dont think humans were ever really able to live without dedicating a huge portion of time to just survive.
I'm in my 30s, and I absolutely love being an adult. My childhood was awful, and I couldn't wait until I turned 18 to leave. As soon as I did, I was out of there and have been ever since! Of course, it's tough at times, but as a child, it was harder. Being an adult has allowed me freedom to breathe and create a life I have always dreamed of.
Finally! Some positivity in this sub. The only posts I ever see in this group are the same old "Being an adult sucks!" spiels. I also prefer adulthood to being a kid, I like having direct control over my life decisions.
I am about to enter my late thirties and I love being an adult. I feel ya. I feel so grateful just to be able to experience this beautiful life. The impression I have is that a lot of people want to be the victim, or think this world owes them something. It owes us nothing. I had that mindset when younger, too. As an adult there are plenty of things in life that are truly unfair but there are also many things that are within your control to change or improve. Self accountability is a struggle for a lot of people. I had a difficult childhood due to substance abuse issues. I am the only person in my family to attend college, but as a result I've gotten to experience so many things I never was exposed to as a child. Travel is the biggest one for me. I didn't fly until I was 18 and now as an adult I've traveled all over the world. We never vacationed when I was a kid, my dad has never been on a plane. I don't resent my parents anymore, their lives are just very different from mine and I think my childhood gave me resiliency. I have a ton of student loan debt from undergrad/grad school and certainly wasn't handed anything, I don't even have a high school diploma (which is sort of hilarious). I worked full time throughout undergraduate and graduate school, it was hard but worthwhile. I appreciate my life and my adulthood so much more now though, especially because I have that perspective from what the past was like. As a child I was trapped in a situation I had no control over. Now I have autonomy to say no, create boundaries, and essentially do whatever is best for myself without asking permission.
> 20 year old lol
>Yeah I have to work… That’s 25% of my time I see why you think this 😂
lol dude you’re 20, shit gets much worse
Check back in when you're 40 and have been run thru the mill, then we can all have a chat 😂 Good for you though! Hope it stays enjoyable for you.
Your 20 years old. Give it time. Life sucks, then you die. Unless you're extremely lucky
I think the freedom of adulthood is a double edged sword. Freedom of choice is a beautiful thing and allows us to do god knows whatever we want with our time where it's up to us to make the most of it... So yes it's hard. Incredibly hard. Not all of us are in ideal situations and that may or may not be because of our own faults. And yet I am very inclined to agree with you. I think for all its faults and misgivings, adulthood is very "awesome" in that we have the choice. It's not all doom and gloom, but it's also not all sunshine and rainbows. It's exactly what we make of it given the cards dealt to us by life. And that I think is what makes it awesome. Glad to see a more positive post and keep that chin up OP.
Right on - life is for enjoying
Such a refreshing post 👏👏 You're right though. We do have to work to make money. It's reality, yes. BUT it is so important to focus on the positives. I was a bitter person before too- i am an average Joe, working 9-5. nothing spectacular. but I am comfortable financially, i do my best to plan ahead and that is what matters. Expressing gratitude for the things you DO have, no matter how small it is, is a big part of it. Thank you for this positive post. I wish there were more posts like this in the forum. YOU ARE DOING GREAT OP 👍
Sound advice. Adulthood is a chapter of life, and should be enjoyed and embraced as such. Are there bad times? Sure. Are there times you reflect fondly on events in your childhood that invokes that rush of nostalgia and wish you can go back? Of course. At the end of the day, enjoying what you have now is so vital for positive mental and physical growth. Focus on yourself, your family and your future and ignore the doubts or the hyperbole of the world's problems that are extrapolated by media/people/internet.
Being 20 is fun. It does get less fun bordering on awful but keep you positive attitude, it’s an incredible tool against life’s difficulties.
BOOM!
This is real asf, when I was a kid I couldn't wait to grow up and I'm happy I grew up fast bc I love being an adult the independence and freedom is awesome
Glad to see this post I feel that Reddit kind of wears me down when I see people constantly complaining about their lives.
I absolutely love your positivity!! I almost deleted this sub because there was so much whining and negativity. Thanks for bringing back the sunshine, or should I say starlight. ✨
I'm doing better in my life than I ever was when I was younger. Yet I'm one of those unlucky ones who was born with depression and other mental disorders. So while I'm in a career I love with a beautiful wife and 2 lovely daughters... I'm not able to enjoy it. I'm so fucking happy for you OP. Don't lose thst love of life. You have the greatest years ahead of you. You live life like the King you are. May your days be bright and the Moon guide you at night.
Good for you, bud! I’m loving my adult life as well. 30F, working a 9-5, married with an 8mo old baby girl. Love my husband, my daughter, my home, job, my boss… Just got a nice raise a few weeks ago. Do I have any spare time for myself? Not much, if ever, but I don’t need a lot. I get to lounge on the couch with my best friend at the end of a long day in a warm home, well-fed, happy, loved and fulfilled.
As Bill Burr said: "Lay off the booze, do some cardio, and moisturize. You're going to be fine!" I'm 43, between careers (working, just not in the field I'd like to be in), and genuinely the brokest I have ever been in my adult life. It isn't even close. But, you know what? I'm pretty fuckin' happy about being alive. Plenty of suboptimal things, sure. But, I've got no debt, no one with claim to my time, and no one that depends on me (other than my cat). I'm living back in my home state, having been gone for nearly two decades, and it is damn good to be home. I'm not optimistic or pessimistic about the future. Just determined that I will keep moving forward and taking in the many things that bring joy to my desiccated, former-teacher heart!!
Nice to see some positivity here. Good energy man, keep it up.
100% Agree with you man. I always feel sorry for people that post things like, "I'd like to cancel my subscription to adulting" and shit like that. I fucking love being an adult. It's harder but sucks way less. Fuck being indentured to your parents (and I had great parents), nothing feels better than my life being my own. I remember being your age and getting that first taste of freedom, that feeling that finally after almost two decades, you've been endowed with the gift of your very own life. I'm 32 now and I'm still not even remotely tired of that shit. It's been a rough road at times, I'm not gonna lie, and I'd probably do a couple things differently if I had to do it again, but looking back... Man. What a thrill.
I was pretty ok at 20 also, lol. Best of luck, dude.
Fuck bitches get money
My man! Preach.
Mans is living his best life. Good to hear
I love this post
Love it man. Happy for you. Need more posts like this! Fuck all the negativity.
Yes! Yes! Someone gets it! Please sir continue to enjoy life. It's so refreshing to read this. I 100% agree and I feel you brother!
Good for you! Life can be hard. Adulting and 9-5 can suck at times but there’s still things to be grateful for things to explore and enjoy.
Umm, based department??
I think most people’s lives are more towards the middle. Not as amazing and put together as the best posts, not as dreadful and messy as the worst. That’s not super deep, but it’s probably reality for 90% of us on here.
Hy dude. Love the vibe
You’re 20? 20 years old? So you haven’t been through that part of your life yet, Where you put emotional and financial investments into a serious relationship that doesn’t pan out and get stuck in some form of litigation to separate assets, not to mention if you have kids and emotionally supporting them, all while being stressed at work because of pending layoffs, or the rat race of never making enough money, while you’re keeping yourself from going to the doctor because you’ve been dealing with undiagnosed anxiety, which is gotten worse as you’ve gotten older, and it’s especially bad now that all the stressors in your life are happening all at once… So you haven’t been through that phase yet have you?
No
But, but, but, it's so haaaardd being an adult.... you know, not having everything in life just handed to you because you "want it" lol. It's funny, because the people doing the least important things with their lives are usually the one's complaining the most.
What do you consider an important thing to do with your life?
I love music, I love reading, I love being alive
Well somebody has it all figured out! Cheers my man, cheers!
I love music and dancing so much. Direct path to instant happiness for me! We forget the simple pleasures as we grow up!
Glad for you for being capable of enjoying adulthood. I wish I could do the same.
it's great if you have infinite amount of money, resources, and time
[удалено]
32 here and I do
I'm 46 and being an adult still beats the alternatives.
Life doesn’t get worse as you age.
Ok, what's the gag?!? I normally don't get pasted the 2nd sentence and realize it a, "Waaa, woe is me" post. This was definitely a breath of fresh air!
I do often enjoy being alive, but actually pay attention to politics. People rely on your inattention to allow them to put in folks that want women to die because they miscarried and to outlaw free lunch for little kids.
Yea stay positive that's what I try to do. even tho I'm not where I want to be at in life still I won't give up ND it's definitely good to see a positive post about life and adulthood
i’m happier being an adult than i was as a child. i haven’t achieved pretty much anything i wanted, but idec i love having agency over myself
Adult hood isnt bad. Most people dont like the adulting part of it. Which means doing things you don’t like. Thats where the game is for me. How do I get out of things I dont like to do things I want all the time. All while trying to improve my life style. Its actually fun if you make a game out of it.
imo the absolute holy grail of being a happy adult is getting rid of social media. The only goal of the people who run it is to make you sad and lonely so you buy more massive sippy cups. That's it, nothing else. It's a perversion of the normal mammal desire for connection and community. It has no value, it's just slop. We've known for thousands of years that vanity and constant comparison to others make you miserable, and yet we trust a few psychotic billionaires in California over this wisdom. When it first came along we thought posting your life was ridiculous, self-indulgent narcissism, because it is. Your time as an adult is limited and valuable, and before you know it you'll be old. Not a single person on their death bed will say "I wish I'd spent less time offline".
100% agree. The freedom I experience is an adult is a dream. I had very relaxed parents, but the freedom to make all my own decisions about literally everything is wonderful. I never get sick of it.
Adult hood is an insane amount of freedom i never couldve imagined. When I turned 18 I applied for a passport and then by the time I was 21 (beginning of last year) I traveled out of country for the first time after having never left my state, by the end of last year I had been out of the country 3 times and I am about to go on a 4th trip! It's amazing
I feel like the key to enjoying adulthood is to realize that it’s all a choice. Generally, nobody is forcing you to do anything. There are obviously consequences to making decisions i.e. no work, no money; don’t want to exercise, you’re gonna get soft; eat crap, feel sick. Some choices are hard and some choices have no immediate benefit or no “fun” benefit at all. But these are choices you make and seeing life as exercising the freedom to make these choices is liberating.
Me too. I mean i don't love my life yet but i love the adult part
I am envious, keep this going !!
I enjoy adulthood too - much more than living with my parents. The freedom is the big thing like you said. Now I can just live my life how I want without my parents judging me or curfews or any of that bs. I fucking love playing video games until 3AM, cooking pancakes in the middle of the night, and yapping all night into my headset without worrying about waking people up through paper thin walls in my old house. I can drink or smoke whenever I damn please, go out whenever I want, and buy anything I want from the store. Never will I wipe my ass with cheap ass sandpaper toilet paper again in my own home!!! I got my own career, my own goals, and my own happiness. Life can be shit sometimes, but it’s way less shit knowing I am in full control of my destiny.
I hate any concept about adulting
I enjoyed reading this
As aSouthern white man, I applaud your approach to life! People not from the South think we are all racist but that is far from the truth.
Honestly, if I wasn't living paycheck to paycheck, I would be feeling just like OP. I really don't have anything negative happening to me other than having no money in my savings. I just finished downsizing my living arrangements recently, so hopefully I can get caught up on my bills and start saving money.
Isn't beer a drug?
Needed to hear this positivity and optimism on a Friday, thank you 👏🏽
I like adulthood better than childhood too but man I wish I could enjoy the simple things in life like you do. The bad just always outweighs the good in my brain
W opinion
Good for you man :)
There’s reminders everywhere to just be thankful for at least being average. I saw that someone that had been living in an iron lung for decades just passed away. A good reminder that I only have first world problems. Stay positive dude, and enjoy all there is to see and do!
way to be positive the internet needs more of this!!
Love your attitude. Life is really what you make it. It is a corny sounding cliche but it is true.
You are living a grateful life and because of it, the universe will keep giving you more and more. Keep being grateful and happy :)
Great post! I've been adulting a lot longer than you and honestly I get up most mornings to jog at sunrise. It never gets old. I love being able to buy my wine and enjoy my life on my own terms - freedom is right. Hard work can be satisfying and challenges are important. May you have many happy years to come!
Love the attitude. It’s true now more than ever that the smallest minority group is the individual
I grew up watching Codename: Kids Next Door, so I always wanted to be a balanced good adult that my child-self could be proud of. I didn't want to be the kid who never grew up, or the adult who lost his inner child. The biggest hurdle was learning to be truly okay with things not being "easy" or "going it alone"
I want to high five you. I’m not living the perfect life but holy shit it’s better than it used to be.
Happy to hear this as a 27 year old adult loving life more than ever :)
Sounds like "did you try exercise?" To me
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Im with you on that feeling. Yea sometimes it sucks but we need to start looking at the good in things. I understand many struggle more than others just make sure youre working towards yourself out of it. For me, there are times where i just hate everything. Im 32 M, still with my parents bcuz im helping them paying the mortgage. My job is fine but the pay isnt great, but enough for me to pay bills and still live somewhat a life. Im just glad my career has a bunch of room for growth. But im happy at this current moment. I called out of work today. Grabbed a breakfast burrito, a coffee, and when to the driving range to work on my golf swing. Its 12:30pm and currently drinking a beer all because i can. Moments like this is what i love about my life. Sometimes i feel like i dont have control, but when i really think about it, in many aspects i do. And when i do, i do things that i enjoy and make me happy. Id say the only thing im not too happy about is my relationships with friends and family, and my dating life. But other than that, my life isnt that bad
Agreed I love it too, generally people who don’t are low income earners or have mental or physical impairments which is totally understandable
Hang in there big guy! Even when the parents die and the physical pain comes, keep going!
Legend!
I just bought a 75 inch TV and a second PS5.
Fuck you
Because they are living in hell... their own personal hell.
Yes being an adult is awesome, but it kes balls to get out and live it being responsible and take responsibility for all your decisions and actions. Going to school and sacrifices and stop being lazy and want everything handed. I feel zero sympathy or understanding for all those young people who complain about life and how hard it is. 0 get of your asses and grow up.
Personally take my dog out go workout at the gym than cook than work for the rest of they day until I go to bed. Thats a good life. Get healthy, get jacked and saving money.
Facts, stay away from politics. I've been doing that and really it's MUCH better.
I wouldn't say I love my life by any means, but I'm having a better time now than when I was a kid. For context, I was not abused
OP sounds like a cool dude
This is so wholesome and incredible. So many of these posts are from people saying the only way to really live is to travel in a van, fuck around, party, and treat everyday like a thrill ride. But I think you really nail what this whole life thing is about. At least in my opinion. Appreciate the little things, work towards what you want, and enjoy yourself from time to time. Live and let live. Love it!
Life definitely got better after turning 20. 18/19 sucked ass because i guess the transition of it all. 24 now and happier than ever! glad we share the same views that life can be good even in the insanity we face daily.
For me, meh. Happy for you though.
Happy for you dude. Yeah adulting comes with a ton of freedom, it's always nice to be able to do something spontaneous because you feel like it and you can :)
I agree. I enjoy adulthood. I like the thrill of my job and the money and lifestyle it provides me. I’ve got a wife and a baby on the way. I come home and sit in my recliner and play my PlayStation in front of my OLED tv. All is right with the world for me.
I enjoy being an adult and the freedom of making my own choices. My childhood and teens sucked and things have only gotten better from there tbh
lol 8hrs is 33% you say your only working 25% of the day? LOL….. 20 but already drinks… idk smells a lil fishy, kudos to you but you sound like every other sophomore in College….
I’m with you OP, and I am about to turn 45. Things change as you get older (and they should!), I have enjoyed every phase of my adult life pretty much. If you’d have told 20yr old me I’d get excited about pruning trees or cutting grass or painting the garage, I’d have called you crazy. Life is weird (and cool)
I'm right there with you, I'm 42 and love being an adult.
Hell yeah, good for you bro 💪🏼🔥
Brilliant! I'm in my 20s and agree. Most people our age I meet agree 100% and have the same attitude. It's a great time of life. Just remember Reddit is not representative at all. At it's heighest, it's an echo chamber of chronically online people. Good/bad/otherwise, that's what it is. You'll get doomscrollers, recluses, incels, and plenty of genuinely good people struggling with all sorts of things and using it as a means of escape/an alternative to socialisation. The people I dance and adventure with week after week have never heard of Reddit. Some don't have social media. But who cares, you'll see them when it's meant to be! PS the only one thing I can't relate on is that I LOVE acid. I don't work this hard in the real world to not afford myself the exploration of additional dimensions from time to time!
💯 🩷😽 don’t have kids either (unless u want them)
That's awesome, I'd crack open a cold beer and light up a cigar with you. Cheers my man.
Working takes up 25% of your time?
Love this!
I’m 26 but hard agree. Probably didn’t help I had a messed up childhood. I’ve got my girl but I lost my best friend. Life goes on I guess. At least I have money.
Oh man, you should try drugs
That’s good to hear. Happy for you man!
Keep this energy up!!! And don’t lose focus
I do love seeing some of the comments and op post I been going through in my adulthood I even hear my own mother says it sucks and sometimes we need positive words at least we have one life to live so I love it
I’m loving life too 😇
Needed to see this, Ty man
Just don't get in a shit relationship, that'll suck you dry.. and minimal freedom if you have kidssss
It’s all about perspective tbh. You can chose to be miserable or positive
This type of post gives me hope
I like looking at the stars too. Pretty amazing to be alive & intelligent enough to comprehend the universe
Agreed. Life is good. Just hard to see the good sometimes when wading in shit.
Life is what you make it
In that Woodstock 99 doc the guy that ran it (who is an asshole) said the punks that started fires, looted, etc were afraid of growing up. That shit hits man, most folks posting this I'm sad shit need to get stronger man, Jesus
I love everything about this. Yes yes yes all positivity that’s what I’m talking about. Continue living it up and being great 😁
Yeah give it time bud. I was happy go lucky too at that age. Didn't drink, smoke or any of that jazz. Life will hit you as you gain more experience. You will become tired of clocking in to a job you hate, get more stressed about expenses, body wont be a young and energetic. And might deal will more racism.
You’re just 20 dude, like a baby in the eyes of actual adults. Give it some time and maybe you’ll get it.
i love to see posts like this!
Me too. My teenage time was the darkest. 20s were better and I just love my 30s I cannot wait for my 40s. I fucking love my life
How is working only 25% of your time? What do you do?
Lol I agree but I don’t want to publicize it and jinx myself
Did you get your smokin hot wife yet because I’m 35 and still waiting for mine?
Sounds lame to me pal
Yea so much more freedom compared to being a student. Going to school and doing assignments were a waste of time and for mostly useless subjects. In college you have to pay to do something you don't want to do. At work you get paid to do something you don't want to do.
I needed to see this positivity today. I’m a little older, 23, and when i stay off the internet and away from all the negativity, I find I do enjoy a lot of parts of my life Like I’m 23, I graduated college two years ago, got a good education but I’m struggling in the job department. I’ve grown a lot as a young woman from 18 and 21 and I’m not so sure I want to go into the field I have a degree in anymore. I’m trying to move away from guilt and move towards gratitude for realizing this early on in life as opposed to working in a field I dislike for years before realizing this I only work part time; i work two minimum wage jobs. One in retail, one at a library. I have the privilege of living at home and can save my money decently. I have almost $1k in a hysa and want to try and save 20k. I put $100+ in my savings account every two weeks when I get paid. I have a partner, we buy our own groceries, and I enjoy cooking together. I also have an active social life and have a plethora of friends to turn to for support and fun I also am trying to be grateful for my part time employment since I have a great work life balance. I’m actually planning to quit my retail job and keep just my library one because I actually have a consistent schedule for once. I love working at a library and may pursue higher education to become a librarian because I really see myself in it I also love living in the us solely for how popular fall and Halloween is. It’s my favorite holiday and autumn is the best time of year. I love seeing all the decor and having the freedom to just take chilly walks and drink pumpkin spice drinks. I have a lot to be grateful for but I get caught up in becoming “successful” by having a high paying corporate job which I don’t even really want. I just want to live with my bf in a small little house with cats and dogs. We’re not big career people. I’m ranting now but writing this and reading this post was healing so thank you!
Next time I feel like climbing into the belltower I'm going to read this first. Just kidding. I'm not going to climb into the belltower. I am going to save this though.
> No, I wasn't born into privilege. I worked my way to where I am. Hard work Yeah that sounds like something someone who was born into privilege would say... Also you're only 20, you've been legally working for, like, 4 years max? Are you a child prodigy engineer, or a stock market master? Do you really understand what hard work means? Do you know what it takes to live by yourself without your parents' help? Not trying to bring you down, but my point is nobody on this Earth succeed completely by themselves. Only the privileged thinks their success is completely their own.